Mandy Moore

A random smattering of life lately….

When your backyard isn’t an option to host a birthday party anymore, you pivot to THE HAPPIEST place on earth for some 4th birthday magic!! Thanks for helping us celebrate our most special Gus (who is now over 40 inches so the park was an entirely new experience for all of us)!!! Can’t wait to bring Ozzie and Lou back for more adventures. Also peep the last photo for what a successful day at looks like. 💙💙💙💙💙💙

Happy 4th bday to our magic boy. It is so easy to celebrate you every day, Goosey. Your smile and laugh are insanely infectious. You know every name of every dinosaur and Tom Petty lyric. You are so tender and gentle with your sister (and brother most of the time- ha). You are always concerned when someone is sick or hurt and want to make them feel better. Your curiosity about the world around you keeps us present and on our toes. And your resilience and sense of adventure these last 6 weeks have been both miraculous and a gentle reminder that everything is going to be okay as long as we’re together. I love you beyond words and am so grateful you chose me to be your mom. We will never stop feeling like the luckiest to love and be loved by you. Happy Birthday, Gus!!

We never got an evacuation notice. Sometimes in the quieter moments of processing the last month, I play the game of what would have happened if I didn’t have my phone next to me, playing my typical “piano for deep sleep” mix as I nursed Lou before bed, so I could answer the call from my brother-in-law? It was 6:45 p.m. and he told me he, his wife, and our niece were evacuating, grabbing my in-laws (his parents) and getting the heck out of Dodge and we should do the same. I calmly walked downstairs and relayed this to my husband and without skipping a beat, we promptly packed up the kids (in their pjs), our dog, and scrambled to find our 3 cats as the power went out. I’ll never forget Taylor trying to figure out how to manually open our two little garage doors (they’d just finished construction around Thanksgiving and we’d just started using them—) in the harrowing 60 mph winds, as the sky glowed a dark red and ash started to fall all around us. We raced across town amidst fallen trees on the freeway to the safety of our dear friend’s place, got the kids down, and then I raced to Target to grab a litter box and some water, impulsively refreshing the watch duty app over and over. As we did all night. Over and over. Watching the evacuation zone narrow in on our little 8-block radius. It took until 4 a.m. for it to turn red. All the while, tossing and turning with a stomach-churning anxiety I’ve never experienced before, both boys passed out between us in bed. Lou slept on the floor in a travel crib, and the dog curled up protectively by the door. Continued in comments….

We never got an evacuation notice. Sometimes in the quieter moments of processing the last month, I play the game of what would have happened if I didn’t have my phone next to me, playing my typical “piano for deep sleep” mix as I nursed Lou before bed, so I could answer the call from my brother-in-law? It was 6:45 p.m. and he told me he, his wife, and our niece were evacuating, grabbing my in-laws (his parents) and getting the heck out of Dodge and we should do the same. I calmly walked downstairs and relayed this to my husband and without skipping a beat, we promptly packed up the kids (in their pjs), our dog, and scrambled to find our 3 cats as the power went out. I’ll never forget Taylor trying to figure out how to manually open our two little garage doors (they’d just finished construction around Thanksgiving and we’d just started using them—) in the harrowing 60 mph winds, as the sky glowed a dark red and ash started to fall all around us. We raced across town amidst fallen trees on the freeway to the safety of our dear friend’s place, got the kids down, and then I raced to Target to grab a litter box and some water, impulsively refreshing the watch duty app over and over. As we did all night. Over and over. Watching the evacuation zone narrow in on our little 8-block radius. It took until 4 a.m. for it to turn red. All the while, tossing and turning with a stomach-churning anxiety I’ve never experienced before, both boys passed out between us in bed. Lou slept on the floor in a travel crib, and the dog curled up protectively by the door. Continued in comments….

A huge thank you to my friends for helping me get dressed up to support at last night’s Grammys. My mind is a million different places right now but I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. , , and - you ladies are magic. Thanks for making me feel my very best. And thanks to the greatest ever (Cece, Andrea and Ana) for watching the kids so I could be there in person. Styling Hair Makeup Dress and shoes Jewelry Hottest date ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

My sweet LouLou Bean. Hold tight to your loved ones, friends. Love you, LA.

Yesterday, Griff & Kit lost everything in a devastating fire. With their baby on the way, they need our support now more than ever. Please consider donating and sharing to help them rebuild.

https://gofund.me/00382d5d

Yesterday, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Griff & Kit, lost their home and everything they own in the Eaton fire. With their first baby on the way in a matter of weeks, they need our support now more than ever. Griff is touring musician and also lost his entire arsenal of drums/percussion that he uses to make a living. It’s all too much. So many have reached out and asked how they could help during this time of unimaginable loss, grief and stress…Please consider donating and sharing to help them rebuild.
Link in bio and all the love… 🩷🩷

We were able to park and walk up our street to bear witness to all the loss. Miraculously, the main part of our house is still standing. For now. It’s not livable but mostly intact. We lost Taylor and griffin’s studio with every instrument and piece of equipment they’ve ever owned. We lost our garage and back house. Everyone we know lost everything. Every house on our street is gone. My in laws. My brother and sister in law- 6 weeks from welcoming their first baby. Our best friends. Feeling weird survivors guilt. We love this community and will do everything we can to help rebuild and support. Thanks for everyone for checking on us and offering us help. Altadena strong.

2024. You were a year of completion and the deepest well of nearly impossible joy. You were also a year of unfamiliar waters. A year of transition, acceptance, excavating, building, rewiring. You brought us Lou…. And so many moments as a family that I will replay over and over as the years unfold. Trying to stay on my toes, relish in community and the company of loved ones… and remain as present as possible as we move into another year and chapter. Wishing everyone a safe, happy and healthy new year. Cheers to 2025!! 🍾

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanza! This is the best we could muster with a self timer this morning but grateful doesn’t even measure how I feel about this family of mine. This time last year we had no idea we’d would be welcoming another family member- holy cow. Soaking it all in… while simultaneously running on empty. Cheers to a happiest holiday season for all!